Scrap plan for Ukraine ammunition factory

In a country that struggles to manufacture vaccines, N95 masks and ventilators at home amid a pandemic, why is a Crown corporation planning to stoke tensions with Russia by building an ammo factory in Ukraine? Crown corporations should fill needs and benefit the national interest, not fuel the proliferation of weapons on the world stage.

Constructing a small-arms ammunition facility in Ukraine does very little to benefit Canadians, unless perhaps you are a top executive at a defence firm. As we approach the two-year mark of this pandemic, Canada should be focusing on shoring up our national health system and medical manufacturing capabilities, not fanning the flames of a second Cold War with Russia. Instead of a deeper involvement with the international arms trade, Canada should take Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly's own advice: “de-escalate and engage in meaningful dialogue.”

Charlotte Akin, Ottawa